Participatory Approaches to Agroecosystem Resilience in time of Drought (ARID): An example from the Southern Great Plains

Summary:​

Agriculture is a major driver of worldwide land-use/land-cover change. Land management practices can lead to land degradation in the forms of soil erosion, woody plant encroachment, and diminishing surface and groundwater resources, among others. Climate variability, such as cyclical drought, place additional burdens on land managers seeking to balance economic livelihood and ecological stability. The U.S. Southern Great Plains, in particular, is prone, having experienced multiple extended droughts during the part century and half, including the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and a prolonged period of drier than normal conditions beginning in approximately 2000. As stakeholders plan for climate and weather extremes, understanding how land and water are impacted by agricultural and water policies is critical for achieving resilient communities and agroecosystems.​

Participatory Approaches to Agroecosystem Resilience in Times of Drought (ARID) is a multi-institutional, transdisciplinary approach to explore and address these critical land and water resource issues facing the Southern Great Plains. The project has three overarching goals:

1. Link land-use/land-cover change dynamics to land management and water policies across multiple scales;
   
2. Support effective land and water management through citizen science and participatory approaches; and 
   
3. Develop outreach and extension programs and materials to support resilience-based management strategies in the face of recurrent cyclical drought and climate variability.